Election party conference of the Greens: A demonstrative self-assurance

The principle of hope does not quite apply.

The Greens relied on the principle of utopia at their election party congress on Sunday.

In current polls, the party is at 15 or 16 percent, just ahead of the FDP and a long way behind the Union and the SPD.

But those who listened to the speakers in the Reinbeckhalle in Koepenick could believe that the Chancellery was within reach: the Greens strongest force, Annalena Baerbock the next Chancellor, so it was said in one speech after the other.

Helene Bubrowski

Political correspondent in Berlin.

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There is a new departure "only with strong Greens in the government, led by Annalena Baerbock, preferably together with the SPD," said Federal Managing Director Michael Kellner and recalled the "brilliant final spurt" that the Greens had before the 2017 federal election.

"We'll do that this time too!"

Cheers for Baerbock

Christian Meyer from Lower Saxony reported on the election successes in the local elections, of the Greens, who had landed first in individual municipalities, although the media had predicted a duel between the SPD and CDU. Winfried Kretschmann, Prime Minister of Baden-Württemberg, said: “Only a party knows what to do. There is only one candidate who works with every fiber to ensure that our children and grandchildren can still live in freedom. ”Before and after her speech, Baerbock was cheered frenetically by the delegates. What could be seen was a demonstrative self-assurance, almost an auto-suggestion.

Baerbock had started her speech by saying that she did not want to speak as a candidate for chancellor, but as the party leader.

With that she didn't mean to admit that this role corresponds more to reality.

It was about encouraging the party, you could also say calling on them to persevere.

"Every third party is still undecided," shouted Baerbock.

"That's 20 million people."

The past few weeks have been “turbulent”, but it can be felt: “There is so much power in this country, so much is possible, we are opening a new chapter.” They had set off for a summit, “the last few meters are still there in front of us, ”said Baerbock.

"Let's go really well again," she said.

“We are now fighting with everything we have.

And yes, we need significantly more votes for a real departure. "

Attack on CDU and SPD

A ride through the green election platform followed.

Baerbock didn't say a single sentence that she hasn't said countless times in the same or similar way.

The next government must be a climate government, the years in government of the Union and SPD were "wasted years".

Climate protection and social justice should not be played off against each other.

“It goes hand in hand,” said Baerbock.

"Climate protection secures jobs, our industrial location and thus social prosperity."

She called for a "departure for social justice".

The first measure taken by the new federal government must be to raise the minimum wage.

The SPD has come up with nice names for its laws, such as the Strong Family Law.

"But headlines like that don't help," said Baerbock and spoke about the green idea of ​​basic child benefits.

“Every fifth child in Germany lives in poverty.

Real wealth is when no child lives in poverty. ”It was about Europe, for which the grand coalition had done too little.

Then came the familiar green ideas of foreign policy and China.

"The Union lacks a clear stance," she says, and she must finally go into the opposition.

Habeck: "Stuck in stupid debates"

Robert Habeck was the last speaker at this election congress.

He was the only one who spoke differently.

The Baerbock was not already projecting into the Chancellery, who spoke very little about the co-chair.

And the only one who flashed something like reflection on the missed opportunity.

“Something was wrong with this election campaign,” he said, and some Greens held their breath as to whether an analysis of Baerbock's mistakes should now follow.

Habeck let that stay.

The main culprit for not having discussed the “real challenges” in the election campaign was his political competition.

After the climate ruling by the Federal Constitutional Court in April, a constructive dispute about the best answers should have been conducted.

"But we got stuck in stupid and stupid debates," said Habeck.

“What does climate protection cost is not the question at all.

The question is: What does climate protection cost?

Ask the people in the Ahr valley what that costs ".

It is also the wrong question whether a person can still afford a “ninth bratwurst” when he is already feeling sick.

"The Union and SPD discovered their social conscience when it came to bratwurst issues," said Habeck.

Baerbock stays down

But his speech was not just a beating on the others, in the subtext one could read criticism of his own election campaign.

When he said: "This election campaign had the chance to lead a new debate about the future design", the complaint resonated that the Greens did not take advantage of this opportunity.

That they were too preoccupied with themselves and Baerbock's mistakes for that.

At the end of his speech, he expected his party to face reality: "We don't yet know exactly what the next era will be, who will shape it." Unlike many other sentences, this one did not make it onto the green Twitter channel.

Habeck ended: "Let's fight for a new departure, let's fight for freedom and let's fight for Annalena."

The candidate did not go on stage, as is customary after the co-chairman's speeches.

Just because of the pictures.

She stopped below.